Saturday, December 24, 2011

There’s hardly anything in the news feed tonight. Most of our tipsters have taken seasonal jobs as elves working for S. Claus at the North Pole. And the rest are busy filling stockings with coal to give to each other…

Thanks to AC, Insubria, JP, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Commenters are advised to leave their comments at this post (rather than with the news articles) so that they are more easily accessible.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. We check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

A Happy Hanukkah and a Blessed and Merry Christmas to Baron Bodissey and Dymphna, and to all Gates of Vienna readers who want them!

"Joy to the world! The Lord is come! Let Earth receive her King!" (from "Joy to the World")

"Nails, spear, shall pierce him through, The Cross be borne for me, for you, Hail, hail the Word made Flesh, The babe, the son of Mary." (from "What Child Is This?")

"If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you." (Paul's letter to the Romans, 8:11)

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words." (Paul's letter to the Romans, 8:26)

"When we cry "Abba! Father!" it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." (Paul's letter to the Romans, 8:15b-17)

Whether it be a true hope or a hope in vain, this hope undergirds Handel's Messiah, the glorious carols and anthems, and the whole exultant Christmas celebration of hope, joy, and love in the midst of our drain-swirling mortal lives' pain and grief.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.